daughter
by distrahere
Summary: When Adam's daughter, the chaotic and unpredictable Lottie Truman, turns up at the Emergency Department at 3am the team aren't quite sure what to make of her or how to deal with her. CONTENT WARNING to be safe OC/MULTICHAPTER
1. To Be A Father

Hi, for those of you who don't know me I'm Emily and this is a fanfiction that I've had lying around for a while now. It tells the story of Lottie Truman, daughter of our favorite (well one of our favorite) E.D doctors, Adam Truman. Based from about halfway through series 22 and will tell the story for as long as I feel like it. As usual I will cover the old storylines that you know well and love but watching casualty series 22 is in no way compulsory. Even though Lottie is the main character I will be telling the story from other perspectives too just because it makes it easier and I will include bits that she's not directly involved in. I'm having fun writing this, I hope you guys enjoy it too. As always I would love feedback in the form of a review or a message just because it makes this writing all seem worthwhile. I'm rambling now so I'm going to leave you to read the actual fiction. okay, bye. :)

* * *

Lottie's feet ached. Her toes were crushed against the end of her shoes, 6 inch heeled ankle boots weren't designed for long walks across town. For the second time she considered sitting down and calling for an ambulance, but being admitted to hospital normally meant blood tests and after the night she'd had that probably wasn't such a good idea. Her arm was throbbing, she'd fallen on it when she was trying to catch a cab and she was freezing cold, she'd lost her coat earlier in the night, or morning, she couldn't actually recall when, so sitting down in frayed denim hotpants and a lace bralet even for the 5 minutes it would take for an ambulance to find her would probably mean risking hypothermia.

Finally, after much stumbling and swearing she managed to reach her destination, the emergency department carpark. She tried the door of a low blue convertible, but it was locked. Not that she was in any state to drive, and being 15 it would be illegal. She sighed, "I guess I'll just have to face the music, eh." She walked across the carpark and into the emergency department. She scanned the busy reception, but didn't see any faces that she recognized. She walked past the desk, resolving to try cubicles, but before she had got past the queue of patients she was interrupted by an all too familiar voice, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
Lottie spun around on her 6inch heals grabbing Adam Truman by the elbow with her good arm to prevent herself from falling over. She grinned, "Why, hello daddy."

"Don't make me ask again."

Lottie scowled sulkily, "No need to be like that. And I am here because mother locked me out again and I couldn't pick the lock. I tried your car door as well, but to be honest I'm not really in a state to drive."

Adam kept his voice low as to avoid attracting the attention of his colleagues, but his annoyance was clear, "It's three a clock in the morning. And you're 15, you can't drink and you can't drive and not definitely at the same time."

Lottie shivered, as usual ignoring her father's criticism, "I'm cold."

Adam looked his daughter up and down, noting her clothing or lack of it. Dryly, "I'm not surprised. What have you done to your arm?"

"Fell over, didn't I? You're the doctor you tell me."

"Let me do the jokes. Does this hurt?" Adam pressed lightly on her arm.

Lottie yanked it out of his reach, "Ow. No need to poke it."

"It's probably just a sprain, but I'll get you an X-Ray to make sure. He looked around again, several of his colleagues, Charlie, Abs, Ruth, Maggie and Tess were looking at the pair, or indeed the way that Lottie was still clutching Adam's arm with suspicion. He pulled his arms free, something that didn't escape Lottie's attention. "Are you ashamed of me?" She raised her voice above the noise of the emergency department reception, "DON'T WORRY, I'M HIS DAUGHTER NOT HIS WHORE."This outburst, just loud enough for everyone in the reception to hear caused Abs to burst out laughing, Maggie and Ruth to turn away quickly pretending to be busy, and Tess and Charlie to look disapproving. Lottie lowered her voice to a seductive tone, "Although if you're interested?"

Adam sighed, pretending not to be amused, "Really Lotts? How much have you had to drink?" He leaned over reception and pulled out his navy hospital hoodie and wrapped it around his daughters shoulders. Lottie shrugged the hoodie on, leaving her swollen arm out, "Enough for me to forget what club I was drinking at, but not enough to prevent me from walking from Mum's house."

Adam frowned pulling his daughter aside and out of view, her mothers house was a good 10 minute bus ride away, "And you walked here in the dark? When will you-"

"Dr Truman, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you're needed in resus." Tess looked from the doctor to the the girl whom she presumed was his daughter.

Adam shook his head, "This conversation isn't over. Tess, this is Carlotta Truman-"

Lottie interrupted, "It's Lottie. I still don't know why you let mum call me that."

Adam ignored his daughter, "Sssh you, Carlotta Truman, aged 15 and recovering from a night out on the town. Can you put an IV line in, organise an x ray for her arm and run the usual bloods? Please, don't let her out of your sight, she knows all the tricks in the book and more."

"Dad-"

"I think you've done enough talking for one night Lotta." Adam jogged away calling over his shoulder, "And don't believe a single thing she says."

Tess watched Adam jog away before taking the teenage girl by her arm, "Come with me to cubicles then Carlotta."

Lottie pulled her arm out of Tess's reach, "I know where they are, I've been here enough times with my mother. And I don't need an IV line or any bloods, dad's just over reacting, get me an x ray and then show me to the staffroom and I'll wait there. And don't call me Carlotta, it's a ridiculous name."  
"I'm sure your dad just wants what is best for you-"

"He just doesn't want to look like a shit parent in front of his colleagues. Although that is difficult when your daughter turns up in the middle of the night shift, drunk and dressed like a slut."

Tess pulled open the cubicle curtain, "If you get up on the bed I'll get a HCA to come and sit with you and maybe find you some more appropriate trousers to wear." Tess shut the cubicle door leaving Lottie indignantly reply, "I don't need a bloody babysitter."

.

.

In resus, Adam joined Maggie and Charlie. Although the team were, of course, focused on trying to save the unconscious patient that had just come in with severe burns, they were naturally curious about their new discovery. Maggie passed Adam a roll of clingfilm, "I didn't know you had kids."

Adam began wrapping the patients arm, "There are many things you don't know about me Maggie."

Kelsey was bagging the patient and wasn't going to let the opportunity to pick up gossip pass, "So how many have you got?"

Adam ignored the question for a moment, concentrating on covering the burns on the patients arm completely, but when he had finished he replied, "Lottie is more than enough for anyone to manage. Can I have some Jello pads please?"

The team continued to treat the patient and his stats were beginning to rise when they were interrupted by Tess, "I've got the patients notes here, his name is Micheal Graves and he has no known allergies."

Maggie nodded, "Thanks Tess."

Adam took another roll of clinfilm, "Hang on a minute, didn't I leave you with Lottie?"

"Alice is with her-"

Adam turned around, "Alice? Lottie will eat Alice alive, chew her up and then spit her out in tiny pieces."

Tess frowned slightly, "Are you questioning the competency of one of my nursing staff?"

Adam shrugged, "I'm just warning you, Lottie is no average teenager."

Charlie interrupted, "Adam, this really isn't the time."

Adam nodded and turned back to the patient, "Yes, yes Charlie, but if I know my daughter you better hurry back to cubicles quickly."

.

.

Lottie wasn't causing the chaos that her father was predicting, in fact she was actually making an effort to behave herself. The headache of too much alcohol and god knows what else was making her feel a little woozy and she was grateful for the relative warmth of the emergency department and the loan of her dad's hoodie. It smelt like him, a mixture of aftershave and hospital disinfectant. She was sat cross legged on the bed of her cubicle, having hung her her boots from the end off the bed and was trying not to laugh at Alice's timid attempts at conversation. "So, uh, are you doing your A levels in school yet?"

"Just started them." She shrugged, "Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Psychology."

"Oh, and do you enjoy them?"

Lottie frowned, "Not really. I wanted to do Art and English and History, but I don't know. You can't really be a doctor from those."

"So you want to be a doctor?"

Lottie rolled her eyes, "I've spent enough time in hospitals..."

The curtain opened and Maggie stepped in, "Hi, I'm Maggie Coldwell and I'm going to be your doctor today."

Lottie sighed, "Can't I just have my dad?"

Alice smiled, "This is Carlotta, although she prefers Lottie, Truman and she's got a suspected sprained wrist and is also feeling a little woozy after her night out."

"Okay Lottie, can I take a look at your arm?"

Lottie held out the arm without speaking or looking at the doctor. Maggie pressed on it lightly, "Does this hurt?"

Lottie's reply was both sullen and reluctant, "Yes. A bit."

"Well, I'll have to send you for an X-Ray. Any pain elsewhere?"

"Yeah a headache but that's generally expected after consuming alcohol. And my feet hurt but that's 'cause I walked in those shoes."

"No sickness or vomiting?"

Lottie raised her eyebrows, "Do you see any vomit?"

Maggie nodded, "Okay, okay. I'd like to take some blood too-"

"Is this actually medically necessary or are you just trying to get the gossip? Because if you want to know, Adam is my father. He's not together, and nor has he ever really been together with my mum. There is no scandal or whatever, he pays his child support and he takes me to the zoo. And the only reason that he didn't mention me, is because you didn't ask. Okay? Is the show over?"

"I'm asking these questions because I'm a doctor and this is my job. Now, I'm going to get a nurse to take some blood and I'll be along later to discuss the results. Alice, here will take you to your X Ray as soon as a slot becomes available."

Lottie, regretting her outburst, nodded quietly. "Is there any way I could have a cup of coffee and some paracetamol? My head does actually hurt quite a lot."

Maggie nodded to Alice, "Give her 800mg of ibuprofen, but just a glass of water, okay?"

Alice smiled, "Thank you Maggie."

"Any time love."

.

.

"Is that Lottie's x ray?"

Maggie nodded and stepped aside to let Adam take a look at his daughter's x ray. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be Maggie?"

"Teenage girls can be difficult, and Lottie certainly seems like a handful."

Adam shook his head, "Takes after her mother. Darcy is- Darcy's something else." Maggie could sense that there was something that Adam wasn't telling her and wanted to enquire more but the other doctor pulled down the x ray. "Simple fracture. She'll need a cast."

.

.

"I'm Abs, I'm going to be plastering your arm today."

Lottie scowled, "Don't you have something else to do? I don't need a bloody cast."

"I have an x ray and a diagnosis from a two reputable doctors that says otherwise. No need to frown, we have lots of pretty colours."

"I'm not 6. Jeez."

"Okay. Not six. How old are you then?"

Lottie scowled and jumped off the bed. "Read the notes."

Abs sighed, "Your wish is my command." He pulled the notes of the end of the bed, "Follow me Lottie Truman- wait Truman, are you Adam's kid?"

"Whoo. Well done mate." The sarcasm in the teenagers voice was more than obvious, Abs had recieved much worse from patients before so he wasn't too bothered. They had got to the plaster room. Abs pulled out the plaster box, "So, this is the big decision, red, blue, green, pink, purple?"

"White."

Abs held up his hands in response to the tone. "White is fine. So Lottie, how did you end up with a broken arm?"

"I got drunk and fell over. And then my mum locked me out because I stole her last bottle of vodka so I walked here. Happy days. How long is this going to take?"

"Why, have you got somewhere to be?"

"Nope. Just wondering how much longer I'm going to have to sit here and listen to your attempts of making conversation."

Abs blinked, "Ouch."

Lottie shook her head, regretting what she had said instantly. The nurse was just trying to do his job. "Sorry, I shouldn't take my bad mood out on you."

"And why are you in a bad mood?"

Lottie laughed, "Seriously? It's 4am and half of my brain still feels drunk and the other half is hungover. I walked from one side of town to the other in, well you saw what I'm wearing. My mum locked me out, I lost my coat and bag in a club which name I can't even remember. My dad conveniently forgot to mention that he had a daughter, and although I can see why and if I was him I wouldn't want to own up to me, it does just hurt a little bit to be erased from existence. Oh and my arm hurts a bit too."

"Well..."

Lottie shook her head, "Doesn't matter."

"If you want to talk about it-"

"I don't. I can exercise my right to silence if I want to."

Abs shook his head, "You do that, we're nearly done."

.

.

Her bloods had came back clean, apart from the alcohol of course and she was ready and waiting to go home. Her dad had promised that they could go as soon as his shift was over, but as usual, "something's come up, sorry Lotta, you'll have to wait." And so she was waiting, sitting at the reception desk and watching the nurses, doctors, patients and relatives in the E.D walk by. The receptionist, T.C, seemed to be quite amusing and most of the nurses smiled at her as they walked past. It would have been easy to slip away, no one seemed to be watching her any more, the nice nurse who had sat with her had gone home and everyone else was busy, but going clubbing with a plastered arm wasn't really that appealing. And to be honest, the amount of vomiting drunks she had seen go past her today was enough to put her off drinking for a while, or at least a day. "Can I help you?"

Lottie looked up to see an older man wearing scrubs, "Sorry?"

"Well, you've been sitting there for a while now? I'm Harry Harper, clinical lead."

Lottie shook her head, "I've been seen, I'm just waiting." She smiled, "I'm Lottie Truman, I'm just waiting for my dad to finish work."

"I didn't know that Dr Truman had kids."

"Just the one." Lottie sighed, "Just me."

Harry frowned, there was something about the way that she said the last too words that unsettled him, "Are you okay?"

Lottie raised her plastered arm, "Ache's a bit. But you've probably seen worse, right?"

"How did you do that?"

"Got drunk, tried to walk home, fell over." She shrugged, "No big deal."

"I can see where Dr Truman's got to if you want."

Lottie smiled, "Well thank you Harry Harper."

He nodded and walked away, "Can't have you sitting here all day, can we?"

.

.

"Dr Truman, your daughter is waiting for you in reception."

Adam sighed, he had wanted to take Lottie home ages ago, but he had just kept on being given patients for one reason or another, "That is a fact of which I am acutely aware- wait, what did she say to you? 99% of it won't be true." Adam laughed, "I'm joking Harry. She'll be out of your hair and unclogging your reception seats as soon as I have sent Mrs Hamilton up to Keller, unless you fancy taking over? You know how it is Harry, you've got kids, we can't always jump at their beck and call."

"You know what Dr Truman, I will take Mrs Hamilton for you."

Adam frowned, this wasn't like his boss, "Okay Mr Harper, what do you want?"

"As you said, I've got kids, I know how it is." The older doctor shrugged, "Take her out somewhere nice."

"What is this, parenting advice 101?"

Harry shook his head, "Just go Adam."

.

.

Adam came up behind his daughter and ruffled her hair. "Hey Lotta."

Lottie stood up, "Mind the hair, that took ages to do."

"I can tell, come on then wounded soldier, we're going to get breakfast."

Lottie looked herself up and down, she was still wearing her clubbing gear, "I can't go for breakfast like this, it'll look like you've bought yourself a stripper."

Adam laughed, walking out of the E.D doors, "Good thing I have a change of clothes for you in my car."

Lottie followed him, "You let me sit here like this all morning, freezing cold with half the drunks in holby leering at me."

"You picked the clothes Lottie." Adam opened the car door and produced a pair of leggings, a pair of creepers and a grey sweatshirt. "These are yours right?"

Lottie took them, "Who else do you carry changes of clothes for?"

Adam shrugged with a slight smile, "Now that would be telling."

.

.

Lottie was tucking into her eggs, hash browns, baked beans, toast and polystyrene cup of tea wrapped up warm in her leggings, sweatshirt and Adams coat. Adam was sat opposite working his way through the same but with double bacon, two sausages and double black pudding. He smiled, "Now this is where I give you the responsible parent talk."

Lottie laughed, her dad had never been one for responsibility, especially concerning her. He preferred to be the fun dad who took her out to the zoo or on holiday, "Don't kid yourself."

"I'm serious. These are the rules okay? No drinking-" Seeing the look on Lottie's face he amended, "Well, no getting drunk then. Half a pint of cider at home with your mates is okay, but no getting wasted. Don't accept drinks off strangers, especially not the dark and handsome ones."

"What, the like you?"

Adam acknowledged his daughter's comment with a smile but continued with the lecture, "Don't walk home in the dark without friends and try to wear something suitable on your feet next time. And no skipping school. And definitely no driving my car, or any car. Your fake driving license might fool the club bouncer but it won't fool any police man."

"How did you-"

"Quiet, I'm being a responsible parent."

Lottie burst out laughing. "Sorry but-" And then she looked serious, "You're worried that I'm going to turn out like my mum, I get it. But I'm not like her, I won't be like her."

Adam raised his eyebrows, "She drinking again?"

"Not really." Lottie shrugged, "You know what she's like."

"You can always come and stay with me for a bit."

"You know I worry about her when I'm not there. She might be a crazy alcoholic but she's my mother. If I don't look out for her then no one will?" Noticing the slightly hurt look on her dad's face, "Not that I wouldn't love to. It would be nice, but a bit boring to be honest, no tantrums at 3am because she's forgotten the pass code to her phone or I've hidden her supply of vodka or she can't find her cigarettes, no screaming when there's no booze in the house-"

Adam grinned, "I could give it my best shot."

Lottie shook her head, still smiling, "Nope, no one does temper tantrums like my mother. You would know."

Adam nodded, he had finished his breakfast, but Lottie still had half a plate left. She was picking at the egg and beans but he could tell she wasn't really hungry any more. "You gonna eat that?"

Lottie pushed her plate towards him and picked up the cup of tea, "All yours fat man."

"Hey!"

**review maybe if you likey?**


	2. The Dad Days

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'll try not to let it get boring... A few of you expressed an interest in seeing Lottie's mother, I'm saving her for a few chapters time. The next chapter should be up soon as I have already written it, it's got more of the casualty regulars in :)

emily

* * *

"Adam, there's someone on the phone for you?" Alice held the receiver towards Adam.

He ignored it, "Tell them I'm saving lives." He looked up to see Alice's unamused face, "I'm serious, I've got five patients and two of them are critical."

"It's Lottie's school, Holby Grammar-"

Adam sighed, "Oh what has my darling daughter done now?" He picked up the phone, _"Yes this is Adam Truman speaking, how can I help you?" _He listened, _"Is it really necessary for me to come in? I can talk over the phone? It's just that I'm quite busy- no I'm not saying that. I'll come in." _He put the phone down, "Oh Alice, I think it might just be one of those days."

Alice looked concerned, "What's she done?"

Adam shrugged, "Apparently she flipped another girl over the table and then pushed the table over on top of her."

Alice blinked, "Wow."

Adam shook his head, "It's not really her style... I don't know." He shrugged, "Why did it have to be today?"

.

Lottie was attempting to explain to her dad her side of the events, "Okay, I might have called her stupid but she had no need to stand up in front of the rest of the class and call me a slapper. So I told her to shut up but she ran towards me and I pushed- well it was a bit more of a push, and she fell over. And then she said that mum was a drinking gypsy whore. And I don't take that shit from no one."

Adam interrupted for the first time, "No. You don't take that shit from _anyone_." He noted the odd look that the receptionist was giving him. "What? Grammar's important, or it used to be."

"I'm sorry you had to leave work. I thought they'd call mum but I have no idea where she's pissed off too."

Adam shook his head slowly, "Maybe you could leave the swearing to a minimum. You have just been summoned to the head's office."

"Who, the dinosaur? He'll just grumble on for a bit, fall asleep if we're lucky and then we can go."

The receptionist interrupted, "Mrs Milton will see you now."

Lottie swore again, "Oh not Milton."

"What?"

"She's the deputy head and she's going to eat me alive. And then she'll have you for desert."

.

Adam and Lottie were sitting opposite a severe looking woman with grey hair tied into a bun and a tweed jacket in an offputting shade of green. Mrs Milton tapped her desk with a single finger once and then began to speak, "Carlotta Truman-"

"It's Lottie actually."

Adam shot Lottie a warning look. "Not now."

"No seriously, I've been at this school for 5 years, she is the only teacher that insists on calling me by that name."

The grey haired woman blinked. "Carlotta is the name on your birth certificate, is it not?"

"Yes but-" Lottie gave her father a look as if to say, _help me out here. _Adam ignored her, turning to listen to the teacher.

Mrs Milton ignored her students protests, "Then it is the name I shall continue to call you until this is no longer the case. Carlotta Truman, today you assaulted another pupil in the middle of a lesson and then threw a table across the classroom. And I'm sure Mr Truman-"

Lottie interrupted, "He's a doctor. Dr Truman."

Milton blinked calmly. "First you interrupt my classroom and now you interrupt me. Two fine examples of your daughters impertinence. _Dr Truman."_

"Call me Adam." Milton glared at him. Adam nodded slowly taking in the teachers fierce glare, he added as an afterthought, "Or not."

"Your daughter has, from the beginning of term shown a remarkable inability to follow rules and a general distaste for all authority. And this is not acceptable."

Adam shrugged, "I agree. But-"

The teacher didn't seem to acknowledge that Adam had said anything at all, "I would like to suggest that it would be appropriate for Carlotta to accept a two day suspension in order for her to-"

Lottie snapped, "You're only suspending me because it's Clarissa 'My grandma's a lady' fancy pants Huntington-Whitely and you're worried her dad is going to sue."  
Adam put a restraining hand on Lottie's shoulder, "Enough Lottie. You can apologise and I'm really sorry Mrs Milton but I have to get back to work so I can afford to pay the fees you are charging me so that you can suspend my daughter."

Lottie's mouth remained closed. Adam squeezed his daughter's shoulder, "Apologise."

Lottie sighed, recognising the tone of her father's voice. He didn't often insist that she did something, but when he did he was more stubborn than she could ever be. "I'm sorry."

Adam shook his head, his daughter did not sound sorry at all, but the apology seemed to be accepted by the deputy head teacher who nodded curtly. "I will expect a written letter of apology on my desk in two days time. Goodbye."

Adam stood up, almost dragging his daughter with him. As soon as the door was shut he was already admonishing her, unimpressed that he had to leave work, "You're coming to work with me. You can do filing or something. I'm not having you use your suspension as an excuse to skive."

"Oh come on Dad, there was a concert I wanted to go to."  
"Is this what this was all about? Why you wound up the deputy head, so you could go to a concert? Why didn't you just pull a sickie?"

"The friend who I was going with pulled a sickie, we couldn't both do it else it would have been suspicious."

"Why did you have to be the one to get suspended?"

"Cause I got to pull the sickie last time."

Adam shook his head, "Really? You know sometimes you even surprise me."

.

Abs was in reception filing some patient notes when Lottie and Adam came in, Adam looking slightly sheepish whilst Lottie just looked sullen. Abs smiled, "Lottie Truman. The fact that your dad is dragging you by the ear into the department suggests that you haven't started behaving yourself yet."

Lottie grinned, "Hey Abs."

Adam frowned, "Don't smile. This is supposed to be a punishment."

"No. The punishment is that I have to miss the concert and sit in an emergency department for the afternoon."

Abs shook his head, "Adam mate, if she's deciding the punishment you've already lost." He returned Lottie's grin, "I'd ground her. For a week at least."

Adam nodded, pretending to take Abs's suggestion seriously, "Okay then, Lottie you're grounded for a week."

Lottie's mouth dropped open, "Abs, what did the hell you do that for? He's never grounded me before."

Adam laughed, giving the joke away, "As if grounding her would make any difference..." Adam turned around, "Abs, can you find me a victim, I mean patient of course, a patient admission form. Go on Lottie, do some homework in my office and don't get me into trouble-" He turned back around to find that his daughter had gone. "Abs, did you see where-" Adam patted his pockets, his car keys were missing. "Oh come on Lottie?" He did a quick scan of reception but he knew that his daughter would be long gone. Abs had missed Lottie leaving when he had turned around to look for an admissions card, so she must have been quite quick. "I'll check outside, she can't have gone far."

Adam shook his head, "No point. She took my car keys, she'll be halfway across Holby by now, she speeds like a formula one driver."

"She can drive? She's what, 16?"

"One of her mums boyfriend taught her when she was 12. She's not that bad actually. Just not legal."

"Do you want to call the police?"

Adam sighed, "What's the point- you know I wondered why she got herself suspended, she pretty much asked for it, she just wanted to get here and 'borrow' the car. One day I'll-" Adam pulled his phone out, there was no answer of course, _Lottie, it's your dad, if you're listening to this I want you to pull the car over and call me. As you can probably guess from the disproving tone in my voice I'm not impressed. And I'm being serious this time. Call me._

.

Lottie enjoyed the concert, although it was slightly ruined by the nagging feeling in the bottom of the stomach. She would have to face her father at some point, she did have his car after all. She had dropped her friend off at the bus station preferring to face her father without the presence of Harvey. Harvey was her best friend, but he was also a guy, something that would only wind her father up. And she had parked the blue convertible in it's usual space, knowing that it would be unlikely that he hadn't noticed, but there was always hoping. She tried to sneak into the emergency the department without being noticed, but Abs noticed her entering and grabbed her by the arm. She smiled sheepishly, "Hi Abs, fancy seeming you here?"

"What do you think you were doing today?"

"Going to a concert. Lots of people go to concerts. It was good fun actually-"

"I'm being serious, stealing a car-"

Lottie frowned, "Borrowing. I gave it back."

"That doesn't reduce the irresponsibility of your actions today."

"I can drive better than most actually. I didn't drink or do any drugs so I would be okay to drive back. So actually quite responsible for me."

"Your dad was really worried about you-"

"About his car."

Abs shook his head, "Anything could have happened-"

Lottie rolled her eyes, "Who are you to tell me what to do, we've met, what twice?"

"We see around 3 RTC's a day here, your actions could have caused the death of innocent people in other cars, or of you and your friends? You may think you can drive, but the fact remains that you haven't passed a driving test and you haven't done the theory. Just because your dad is easygoing, doesn't mean that you can just do anything and to hell with the consequences-" Abs realised that he might have been going a bit too far. Lottie was biting her lip.

He sighed, "Sorry, it's been a long day. Your dad is in his office, he'll probably be glad to see you."

Lottie nodded, quiet for once. "Thanks Abs."

She wandered across the apartment, suddenly aware of all the patients with injuries that could have been caused by a car accident. Could have quite conceivably been caused by her stupidity. She didn't bother to knock on the office door, she just opened it and threw the car keys in. "Sorry. Bye." She shut the door and waited. The direct approach was never her forte and she was hoping that, as usual, her father would wimp out on the whole parenting thing and just pretend that it didn't happen. This time she wasn't lucky. The door opened and her father appeared, his face stony, holding his phone. "Why didn't you call?"

Lottie shrugged, pretending to ignore the certainty of a telling off, "I was busy."

That was the final straw for Adam who had spent the past six hours worried sick, expecting each casualty that came through the door to be Lottie, "What. Did. You. Think. You. Were. Doing? Oh wait, you didn't think. You never think." He was holding his phone,

"I always think. Whether it's the right thing to do or not is irrelevant."

"Your safety is not irrelevant."

"The car's fine."

Adam snapped, "I don't care about the bloody car."

"Yes you do. Of course you do. You love the image, the flash car, the flash smile and the pretty nurse. And the sulky teenage daughter kicking off doesn't fit in with that. Don't worry I'm going." Lottie turned too quickly for Adam to catch her. He would have chased her but his pager went off. "Lottie!" He looked at the screen of his pager, he had a crash call, something that he couldn't ignore. He sighed as his daughter disappeared through the E.D doors, knowing that she wouldn't come back. He jogged towards resus, resolving to call her later. That was what he always did.

_._

_Hey Lottie it's your dad, I'm sorry about earlier. We need to talk. I know I'm not good at being a dad, but I want to sort this out. Can you call me? I don't mind if you're busy._

Adam put his mobile back into his pocket. Lottie wouldn't call, she never did. She'd turn up in the back of an ambulance, roll in drunk in the early hours of the morning or just bounce up to him next Saturday and pretend that nothing had happened. That was her style.

**review maybe**


	3. Last Chances

Lottie seems like more of a brat than I intended in this chapter, but make of it what you will. This chapter is dedicated partly to _Gillian Kearney Fan _because I wrote it with her in mind and also to _abby99jones _and all the other people who took the time to give me a review or message because it is really appreciated and makes me smileeee.

* * *

"Tess have you seen my dad?"

Tess was busy trying to do too many things at once. She had a child on one arm, a set of blood results in the other and a list of things to do dancing around her arm that was as long as her arm, "Um, not right now Lottie-"

"Sorry, I just need to speak to him."

Tess snapped, she didn't have time to deal with grumpy teenagers making demands, "This is a busy emergency department, you can't just roll up and demand to see him when you want to."

Lottie rolled her eyes to the side, "Okaay. Just it's supposed to be our Saturday, he always takes me somewhere-"

"Well that can't be right because he's on shift."

Lottie nodded sarcastically, "I gathered that." She realised that Tess seemed to be a bit busy and that she wasn't really helping. "I figured he must have got the dates wrong. You don't happen to- never mind, I can see you are busy."

"Tell me about it." Tess was trying to keep track of a small boy who probably had ADHD and had a particular habit of just randomly throwing things.

The boy collided with Lottie. She scooped him up, "Who have we got here then?"

Tess shook her head, "This is Owen. His Dad's in resus and I simply don't have the staff today to-"

Lottie shrugged, she didn't have anything better to do, "I can look after him until you can find someone. It's not like I've got anything better to do for the next twelve hours."

Tess sighed, knowing it wasn't really hospital protocol, but she had reached the point where she didn't really care. "Sure, take him to the relatives room, see if you can have him colouring or something?"

Lottie grabbed the small boy's arm and dragged him in the direction of the staffroom, "Come on monkey."

Tess shook her head, Lottie really was a good kid, despite the whole wild-child-getting-into-trouble-because-neither-of-my-parents-care thing and she could hardly be blamed for that. "Thank you Lottie."

.

Lottie spent over an hour chasing after the child who was a complete and utter nightmare. She managed to keep him in the relatives room for the majority by playing catch with a tennis ball she found under a chair. But playing catch for over an hour did get tiresome and eventually her concentration slipped he ran past her and straight out of the door. Lottie ran after him, straight into Tess. "Bloody hell there is something wrong with that kid."

Tess shrugged, "Your dad saw him when he came in and said he was fine."

"Yeah well, he hasn't spent the past hour catching him as he bounces off the walls. Is he on speed or something?"

Tess shook her head with a smile, and called over a nurse with dark hair in purple scrubs, "He's a seven year old boy so it's unlikely. Thanks for your help Lottie, but Nurse Harrison here can take over now."

The nurse nodded, "I'm good with kids."

Lottie smiled, "Cool, I'm going to guilt trip some money out of my dad and then I am going shopping." She went to the relatives room and grabbed her bag and then to cubicles to find her father. Not something that was easy but somewhere among the sea of patients and their vomit, nurses in blue scrubs and doctors in green was a man who had some apologising to do.

.

She found him talking to a nurse in purple scrubs, Nurse Harrison, the one who took the child earlier. She interrupted, "Dad, have you forgotten something?"

Adam frowned, "Don't interrupt people's conversations, it's rude."

The nurse in purple scrubs looked from him to Lottie, "Dad?"

Adam sighed, "Jessica-"

Lottie turned to look at the nurse and then back at her dad, "Oh please don't tell me that you forgot which Saturday it was because you're chasing after another pretty nurse. Last chance dad, last chance." She rolled her eyes and walked away not intending to spend another second waiting in the department for her dad to sort himself out.

"Lottie- Look I can't just drop everything-" He shook his head, knowing that there was never any point following after his daughter, she had always been one to storm off in a huff, she took after her mother in that respect. He turned to Jessica, "Great, what's the date?"

Jessica raised her eyebrows, "'Another pretty nurse- Am I missing something here?"

Adam ignored her questions, "The date?"

Jessica shrugged, "It's the the 12th of January."

"Which would be the second Saturday of the month. How could I-"

"Am I missing something?"

"I have Lottie for the second week of the month, starting on a Saturday. And every Saturday since, forever, we've done something special. And it's been so busy after the new year, and last night- I just forgot to even book this shift off." He shook his head, "It doesn't matter. She'll be long gone, that's Lottie- Do you want to show me that patient?" He would call Lottie later and hope that she would see fit to answer. If not then he would just have to wait for the next inconvenient moment that she chose to show up in and hope that he managed to deal with it better.


	4. The Love of A Mother

So you all wanted to meet the mother?

* * *

Jeff pulled the trolley through the doors of resus, meeting Maggie at the door, "This is Darcy O'Dora, knocked unconscious after a fall, has been drinking, stats are at 93%, BP 110/90, patient regained consciousness in the ambulance and has been mildly combative."

Maggie nodded, "Okay, let's get her into resus- Lottie?"

Lottie had followed through the doors, following after Dixie. "Hey Maggie, have the pleasure of meeting my darling mother." Lottie's tone sounded far from delighted at the prospect.

Dixie raised her eyebrows in warning, "And this is Lottie Truman, she's got a black eye and a split lip and apparently no idea how she got them."

Lottie rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, jeez. Is my dad working today?"

Maggie shook her head, "Nope, do you want me to call him?"

Lottie sighed in poorly disguised relief, "Please don't. He'll do his nut. And is there some way that you could manage not to tell him about this, patient confidentiality whatever?" She didn't fancy having to explain this one, her fathers relationship with her mother was tumultuous at best and she didn't fancy having to referee an argument between them in the middle of the emergency department, especially considering that her mother was both drunk and concussed.

Darcy moaned, "I don't wanna be here-"

Lottie snapped, "Shut up mum.

Maggie wanted to quiz Lottie on the origin of her injuries but Darcy was actually her patient, "You hang in there Darcy, we'll get you sorted. Lottie can you go and see a nurse about that lip-"

Lottie shook her head, "No, I said, I'm fine. And she just got pissed, fell over and wacked her head on the kitchen cabinet. She might have taken drugs, I went to the shops this morning so I wouldn't know. And I have a mock exam in half an hour which I've actually revised for so bye-"

Darcy called out again, "I told you girl, do your schoolwork and leave me in peace. She never listens. Bloody teenagers yeh know?"

"Please mum, just shut up and listen to the doctors."

Maggie interrupted, "Darcy can you keep quiet for me? And Lottie, go with Abs for me."

Darcy ignored her, "Don't tell me what to do okay you nosy cow? I'm talking to my girl-"

Lottie wheeled round, "Mum!"

Maggie sighed, "It's okay Lottie, I've had worse. No please get that head seen to."

Lottie rolled her eyes and turned around walking towards the door.

Abs caught her shoulder, "Not so fast kid, your dad would never forgive me if I let you walk away with a head injury."

Lottie watched her mother enter resus, "I've got to go. And my dad isn't going to know about this right? But could you text me if she's okay, my numbers pinned to Adam's locker-"

"Give me 5 minutes, 10 minutes tops, I'll call you a cab and in the time that it takes me to clean that lip and rush you through a CT scanner it will be here and waiting for you."

"It takes ages for a CT scan-"

"Well lucky for your head the patient in resus that I've just booked a slot for has just died."

Lottie shook her head, "Lucky for me? And I've only got 5 minutes."

.

Her hastily performed CT scan was checked by Harry Harper himself, Lottie was touched by the way in which the department made special allowances for her. Perhaps it was sympathy, after her mother's display as she was wheeled across reception it wouldn't be a surprise. Abs was quick to question her on the origin of her injuries, "How did you manage to do this then?"

"Can't talk when you've got a needle in my mouth."

"Seemed to be managing fine right up until I asked that question, eh? So what is it Lottie, I've got to put something in the notes. To much to drink, fighting in the school loos again or have you found yourself another hobby?"

"Oi." Lottie frowned.

"Hold still."

"Sorry. Look she just smacked me on the head when she fell backwards, no biggie but I know it looks bad. Dad would kill her. And he would probably not let me stay with her anymore if he found out she was drinking again, and then she'll drink more and I don't know. But if I stay with her she might go to AA again-"

"Lottie you're her daughter, you should have to do that, you shouldn't have to put up with this, you've got to think about yourself."

"She has nobody else. Are you done yet?"

Abs nodded, "Think about it though-"

Lottie slid off the bed, "As far as my dad knows, I walked into a door and my mother is sleeping quietly at home right now. Okay?" And she was in her taxi in twelve minutes and arrived at school with four minutes to spare and her lip stitched up neatly by Abs.

.

She received a text when she turned her phone on after her exam, "_Really hope this is you Lottie, not just some random girl that Adam's scrubbed you off for, you're mum's fine and we're keeping her in for observation. Hope the exam went well and no offence but I hope I don't have to see you in a while. Abs."_

**reviews make me smile and smiling is good. so smile. and review too**


	5. Never A Dull Moment

**Thank you all for the kind reviews, I'm touched :3**

* * *

Lottie was waiting for her father to finish his shift. She was being patient, after all she hadn't seen him in a while, trying to avoid him noticing what was obviously a black eye and a split lip. Her black eye had faded, something that was easily hidden with subtle makeup anyway, and the mark on her lip was a lot less noticeable and a lot more easy to explain away. She felt guilty for ignoring his calls, and to be truthful, she missed him. That didn't stop her from being bored. She was sat in reception, watching the patients go in and out of the department. It wasn't something that she minded doing, in fact when the patients going past weren't drunk or vomiting it was actually quite interesting to see a snapshot of other peoples lives, but there was a limit to her patience. Her dad, after he had examined her lip and asked her a series of questions about walking into doors, had promised her he would be ready in 30 minutes at the most. It had been 54 minutes already, not that she was counting or anything. She was in her school uniform, or indeed her own approximation of it. Her skirt was too tight, too short and just slightly the wrong colour, but the teachers had given up arguing with her. Most people did after a while. Her tights, although they were black had a series of ladders up the sides that could have been deliberate. Again, her shoes were black, but brothel creepers with extreme flatforms where another attempt to subtly annoy the establishment. Her cardigan was too big and didn't have a school crest, and the last time she saw her tie it was hanging from the bridge over the main road. Not worth risking her life to collect, right? Lottie looked across at the boy sat across from her. Well, when she said boy, he couldn't have been much younger than her. He had been sat there for as long as her, and patients had moved even though they had arrived after him. "Hey, what are you here for?"

Louis Fairhead looked up, slightly surprised that the blonde haired older girl was talking to him, "I'm not a patient, I'm just waiting for my dad."

Lottie smiled, "Snap. Does he work there?"

"He's a nurse. Charlie Fairhead."

"My dad, Adam Truman, he's a doctor. I guess you spend half your life sitting here waiting for him, right?"

Lottie looked at the boy again, "I'm Lottie. You're?"

"Louis. You go to the grammar school right?"

Lottie nodded, "For my sins." She shrugged," it's not too bad actually. The teachers are dicks, but then I guess that's the same for every school." She looked at Louis, trying to judge his age, "You're what, year 11?"

Louis nodded quickly, "Yeah. You?"

"You should know better than to ask a young ladies age." She laughed at Louis face, "I'm teasing you. I'm in year twelve." She looked around, "You fancy sneaking out and going for a drink?" Lottie had got bored waiting, and when Lottie got bored...

Louis's eyes widened slightly, but in his eagerness to impress the older girl he nodded, completely unaware that she was just using him as a tool to wind her dad up. Not that he wouldn't enjoy winding his own dad up.

Lottie smiled, "Grab your coat then Louis Fairhead, I know just the place."

They were halfway across the E.D when Charlie caught Louis by the shoulder, "And where do you think you're going?"

"Dad?"

Lottie smiled her best smile, something that can't have been very reassuring to Charlie. Like the rest of the staff in the emergency department he had come to know Lottie, and not necessarily for the right reasons. "Oh don't worry Mr Fairhead, we're just going for a couple of drinks, I'll look after him."

"You what?" Charlie was not impressed and was about to give both Lottie and Louis a telling off, but Adam, who had been keeping half an eye on Lottie for the past your knowing that her patience would wear thin, intervened, "Come on Charlie, no harm done, they're just kids."

Lottie would have repeated her earlier comment, but Charlie got there first. He was already furious with Louis and Adam's obviously relaxed style of parenting was the final straw. "You might be happy to let your daughter drink and do whatever else but I won't have her drag Louis around with her."

Louis tried to interrupt, but for once was silenced by the look in his fathers face.

In contrast, Lottie was doing a good impression of looking bored. Adam frowned, "I'm not liking the implication there, mate."

They were interrupted by a stout man in a suit jacket with a bleeding wound to the head standing up and complaining loudly, "How come they're getting seen by a doctor and a nurse? I'm a head injury, the triage nurse said I would be a priority. They're young and fit and they don't look like they have a thing wrong with them."

That was too much for Lottie who snorted with laughter. Even Adam cracked a slight smile at the man's indignant glare. Charlie frowned, turning to the father and daughter, "So you think this is funny?"

Lottie nodded in mock sincerity. "Very funny."

Charlie looked to Adam, and upon realising that he wasn't going to reprimand his daughter decided to do it for him, "You may think it is funny that your cheek is interrupting the running of the emergency department-"

Adam cut in, "I think that's enough Charlie. As I said, they're just kids. Lottie go and get my coat from the staffroom, you've done enough here. Charlie if you could see to the patient, I would offer my assistance but my shift did finish over an hour ago."

Lottie rolled her eyes, turning towards the staffroom. She winked at Louis, "See you around."

Adam sighed as Charlie firmly pushed at protesting Louis onto his chair in reception and led the stout man away to a cubicle. Never a dull moment when his daughter was around.


	6. The Club Is Alive

The club was alive. Literally. New years eve and packed from wall to wall. Just the way that Lottie liked it. There was a certain anonymity of being among hundreds of people. She looked up at the screen above the bar, 10:03. Her dad would be leaving the emergency department with his date under his arm and her mother would be halfway, if not the whole way, through a bottle of whiskey. And she didn't care.

"What are you doing here? Lottie? This club's for over 18's-" Abs yanked the drink out of her hand, "Your dad would kill you."

Lottie took it back, and gave Abs a look, "What the hell do you think I am doing here?" She turned away, only to find Abs's hand on her shoulder. "Not so fast young lady."

Lottie turned on her heels and rolled her eyes, slurring slightly, "Fake I.D's are fake for a reason. And there's a reason my dad thinks I'm at a girly sleepover okay, so he doesn't kill me? I'm having a good time, don't ruin it for me, all my mates are here."

"And how old are those mates?"

"Older than me, younger than you." Lottie shrugged, looking Abs up and down, "See you later mate."

Abs watched as Lottie wobbled away on heels that could do serious damaged if used as a weapon. Her dress was so short that it could have been a top. In fact, it probably was. Abs sighed, that was his fun night gone, he would have to keep half an eye out for both Harry's daughter and Adam's under-age tearaway too. Not to mention the fact that Kelsey was intent on getting as drunk as possible as quickly as possible.

.

Lottie was enjoying her night, Club Paradise was packed from wall to wall, she and the four friends that she had managed to sneak in with using a combination of distraction tactics and well-faked ID's. Josie, Harvey, Lola and Sam were all older than her, but Club Paradise had been her idea. There had been this guy who was watching her. Tall, dark haired, reasonably handsome and at least 5 years older than her. Just her type. He was looking at her now. She met his gaze with a wink, "What you looking at?"

He held out his hand, "I think that's obvious. Can I buy you a drink?"

"Marcus. And what would yours be?"

Lottie shook her head, "I don't know, giving my name to strangers-"

The guy kissed her, stopping the words from forming on her mouth, "Now we aren't strangers."

Lottie laughed, "You win. I'm Lottie-"

And then another hand caught her shoulder, "Sorry mate, she's with me."

The man had been about to argue, but then he took in Abs's tall frame and the mildly possessive way that he had taken Lottie's shoulder and slipped away through the crowd. Lottie was not impressed, "Marcus, wait- what the hell Abs?"

"He's twice your age, you don't know anything about him, in fact you've only just met in a shady club and you were going to let him buy you a drink."

"I would have let him do a lot more than that. I'm 16, I don't need a baby sitter."

"After the amount have drinks I've seen you pour down your throat today I would disagree."

"Have you been watching me? Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Lottie placed her hand on his chest suggestively, "Maybe you're just jealous."

Abs stepped backwards, "You have definitely had to much to drink." He looked around, "I'm going to find Kelsey, and then I am going to put you in a cab."

"No point. Adam will be out with some girl and my mum will be halfway through a bottle of whiskey or worse. I'm supposed to be going home with Josie-" she looked around, she hadn't seen any of her friends in a while, but then it was a busy club. "Seriously Abs, piss off." She tried to slip past but he caught her arm,

"Is that the mate you were with earlier because I'm pretty sure she went home a while ago. Remember?"

Lottie scowled, "Stalker..." She reluctantly let let Abs lead her through the crowd to find Kelsey, "Here she is-"

Lottie pulled away from Abs's grip, "Kelsey guess what, there was this guy and he was totally up for it and Abs basically told him to piss off like why-"

"I'm going to take her home, sorry Kels-"

Kelsey did not look impressed, "What?"

And then the countdown started, Lottie grabbed Kelsey and Abs, "I'm not that drunk and I don't want to ruin your night, can't we just stay for the new year?"

Abs shook his head in disapproval but joined Kelsey and Lottie in counting the new year in. And after the countdown was done there was hugging and cheering. "I'm gonna find Harvey-"

"Lottie-" But she was gone.

.

And then the music stopped and the screaming started. Someone had been shot. Lottie was upstairs, there was a mass of screaming people and she wasn't sure where to go in the rush of the bodies. She suddenly felt claustrophobic in the crowd, her dad was claustrophobic, she wasn't sure why that popped into her head. She wanted to find Abs, she turned around, and there he was, running up the stairs calling for someone called Dean. "Abs?"

"Lottie-" Abs wanted to tell her to get out, but then there was a gunman on the loose. "Just stay with me and keep quiet." He could see that Lottie was scared, her hands were shaking. Abs continued anyway, "It'll be okay. Dean? I'm sorry you had to see that mate-" Abs had just performed a surgical airway on one of the girls who had been shot, and the kid called Dean had seen it, "It might have looked violent but we're nurses and we were just helping her. Dean?" Lottie followed him. Abs called out again, "Dean? Dean? We can get you to hospital now and get you checked over. You're probably in shock, it's been a very frightening experience for you. Dean?" And then a kid appeared round the corner holding a gun. Lottie almost fell over backwards in shock. Abs raised his arms slowly, and without thinking Lottie did the same. He hissed to Lottie under his breath, furious with himself for not realising that it was Dean that was the shooter, and for letting Lottie follow him up the stairs, "Let me do the talking-" And then raised his voice so that Dean could hear, "Put the gun down, yeah?"

Dean was shaking, just like Lottie and Abs but then they weren't holding a loaded gun, "Get out of my way. I've got to get out of here."

From behind them, "ARMED POLICE DROP THE GUN! LEAVE IT! DROP THE GUN."

Lottie closed her eyes just as Abs shouted, "NO!" There was a shot, maybe two, Lottie's ears were ringing. Abs flew backwards and Lottie let herself fall with him. The police rushed past and Lottie noticed that Abs was bleeding. She couldn't find the words and luckily Kelsey and Dixe came up the stairs and took charge. Time passed, someone put a blanket around her and then Dixie was touching her arm, "Lottie darling can you stand up for me?"

Lottie shook her head, staring at the pool of blood but let Dixie pull her to her feet. "All right love, it's all going to be okay."

.

They got to the E.D, "Dixie, I want my dad. Where's my dad?"

Tess looked at Dixie. Adam was currently stuck in a lift with a woman who was giving birth, "Lottie, I'm sorry. He's stuck in a lift right now with- with a pregnant woman."

This bought Lottie out of her reverie, "In a lift?" She shook her head, "That can't be right, um, he's really claustrophobic. I don't know why I said that. I don't know-" She clenched her shaking hands into fists, "I want my dad."

Tess nodded, "I know Lottie. I know."

"I'm going to take you to cubicles."

"No, no, no. I don't want to go to cubicles. Can I just wait in the staffroom?"

Tess shrugged, she didn't even have a cubicle for her to go too so she guessed that the staffroom would be just as good. "Okay." Lottie stepped backwards into the staffroom and curled up on the sofa.

.

The staff room opened, "Lottie, Lottie?"

"Daddy!" Lottie rushed into her dad's outstretched arms, she was still shaking.

Adam kissed his daughter on the top of her head, "Please Lottie, don't ever do that to me again."

"I was so scared."

"What, Lottie the lion scared?"

"No, just Lottie... He had a gun and he was just pointing it at me why would he do that? Why would he shoot those people?"

Adam was still holding his daughter close, making reassuring noises, "It's okay now, you're safe."

"I'm sorry. I didn't-I didn't mean to- I-"

"Sssh, ssh, it's okay."

And they stood like that until Lottie stopped hyperventilating slightly. She looked up at her dad, "Anyway, are you okay? Pregnant woman in lift?"

Adam shook his head, "All good. Well, with the help of Alice anyway." He sighed and ruffled his daughter's hair, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I will be okay."

"I'll drop you home, I'm not even on shift anyway."

"Can I stay at yours tonight? I- I just don't fancy clearing up mum's vomit, she can do it herself for once."

"I thought you said she had gone back to AA?"

"It's new years, she's been hiding the weeks in the washing basket for weeks. Partly why I went to Club Paradise, okay? I wanted to be out of the house."

Adam brushed her hair out of her face, "You can talk to me, you know."

Lottie shrugged, "This is talking, right?"

The door opened, Kelsey, Mac followed by Tess and Abs and a jubilant Alice wandered in. Mac and Kelsey slumped on the sofa and Abs put the kettle on. Lottie stayed attached to her dad, smiling slightly as Alice gushed about her experience as a midwife and Tess suspiciously questioned Adam about his lack of assistance. Tess turned down the tea, "Forget the tea, lets open the champagne."

Lottie took the tea, "Not for me thanks."

Abs laughed, "You just hold that thought until your 18th birthday and you'll do fine kid. Let's raise a glass to Tess. You've seen this department through a nightmare shift tonight, which you shouldn't have had to do alone, but you did." He handed the glasses around. The new consultant Zoe Hanna appeared, "Ah, the staffroom." She took the champagne gladly, "I'm back on shift in a minute, does anyone know where you can get a good breakfast round here?"

Adam held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Adam Truman, I don't think we've met yet. And The Greasy Spoon around the corner is the place to go, trust me."

Lottie rolled her eyes at the blatant flirting, some things never did change. Abs and the rest of the team raised their plastic cups and Lottie raised her mug of tear, "To Tess and the new year."

Tess was quick to amend it, "To everyone and the new year."

"Cheers."

Adam smiled, "Anyone for The Greasy Spoon?"

And the whole team, and Lottie, piled out of the E.D in search of a full english, Adam keeping his arm firmly around his daughter's shoulders.


End file.
